


The Difference Between Protection and Cruelty.

by Artiegamer13



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst, Bunny Is An Ass, Comfort, Fear, Feels, Fluff, Hateful Bunny, Hurt, Loneliness, M/M, Memories, Misunderstandings, Protective Tooth, Talking, but not really, past depression, past experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 13:10:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2069472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artiegamer13/pseuds/Artiegamer13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the http://rotg-kink.dreamwidth.org/1511.html?thread=2489831#cmt2489831:     'So what if the film happened, and the reason Bunny didn't want Jack to be a Guardian was because it was putting his "mate" in danger with Pitch and "ohmygod Manny what the hell using a kid as a weapon against a millions-of-years-old mad shadow king?"'</p><p>      Aster would never leave an upset child, and thus, he and Jack had been mates since a little after the blizzard of '68. But when Jack is recruited by the guardians, Aster resorts to some very cruel methods. Now Aster has to convince his little Snowflake that he truly does love him, before the pooka looses the one thing that has brightened his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Difference Between Protection and Cruelty.

      "No! What you said was way out of line! Why would you ever say those things to me, about me!" Jack screamed. Tears leaving stains down his pale cheeks. It had been a few hours after they defeated Pitch, and Jack finally was able to get everything off of his chest. Aster stood before him, looking ragged. Every word struck him like arrows, but he knew that he deserved more. Jack fell quiet after a moment, his shoulders silently shaking as more tears streamed from his eyes. Aster took his chance, and failed miserably. He reached out, placing a gentle hand on his mate's shoulder.

      "Listen, Snowflake, I.."

      "Oh now you call me that! What ever happened to FROSTBITE!?" Aster winced at both the shards in Jack's voice and the name itself, the name he had called the sprite. "That's it Roo, I am done! Call me when you can get off your fucking high horse!" Jack roughly shrugged Aster's hand off and flew through the warren and out into the world. Aster stared down at his paw, he felt numb. It was all his fault, he lightly hit his fist onto his fore head. _Why did I say those things! Why?_ The Pooka trudged through the Warren, heading numbly towards the Burrow. It wasn't really a burrow, but more like a small cottage, that happened to be built into the entrance of a large stone cave. It was large, built for a family, and had a huge kitchen, rooms for each of the guardians and a few others, an entertainment center (courtesy of Jack), and the Nest room. This was where Aster and for the last forty-four years Jack slept. The pooka flopped into the soft nest of blankets, sheets, pillows, and flower petals. It felt empty without his Snowflake in his arms.

      "What have I done?" He whispered to the solitude. Aster turned to his side, clutched jack's favorite pillow to his chest, and fell into an exhausted and depressed slumber.

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      Jack flew fast, not really paying attention to where he was going. It wouldn't have mattered anyways, as he was still partially blinded by tears. He needed to talk to somebody, to get this out, then it hit him. Tooth. He quickly surveyed his surroundings, and made a sharp turn towards China. Once he had reached a small coastal town in the large country, he waited for the inevitable arrival of one of the many tooth fairies that were under Tooth's service. It didn't take long, and she had been happy to show him the way to Punjam Hy Loo. Once they arrived, the little fairy was immediately called away with a new job. Jack made his way to the main chamber where Tooth was currently sending out rapid orders for new teeth. The eternal teen approached tentatively, and after a moment quietly cleared his throat. Tooth rounded quickly, and smiled.

      "Sweet Tooth! how are you?" Tooth said cheerfully as she flew down to give him a quick hug. Jack chuckled weakly, and suddenly he was being stared down by vivid purple eyes. Her eyes flashed icy blue before she gasped quietly. Jack must have looked confused, because Tooth suddenly explained. "Sorry, you know how Pitch could sense fear, and Bunny can sense hope?" Jack nodded reluctantly. "Well, sometime I can pick up on memories that people i'm speaking with are thinking about." Jack became confused again. "I know what just happened in the warren." She stated bluntly.

      "Oh" Jack replied numbly. "Then you'll know, that I need to talk." Jack's voice broke at the last few words. Tooth quickly passed the torch to Baby Tooth and led a quietly sobbing jack to her sitting room. She sat him down on a soft beanbag type chair and quickly poured him a cup of peppermint tea.

      "So, how long have you two been together?" Tooth asked gently.

      "Around forty-four years, almost forty five now." Jack replied, sipping at his tea. The sobs had subsided, though a sniffle or two could still be heard. realization glazed Tooth's eyes.

      " '68, the blizzard? I think you had better explain." She said carefully. Jack nodded, setting down what was left of his tea.

      "It all started before the blizzard, a group spring sprites had tried to... do things. when I retaliated, they screamed about how no one would ever love me. That I would always be alone. I know now that anyone else would have now even given it a second thought, but I had been alone for more than two hundred and fifty years, and I was already depressed. who wouldn't be after being walked through for years, then the first ones you could touch, tried to... Well, I was losing it, I didn't notice what my emotions were doing, I didn't even know what day it was. That was when he found me."

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      Jack was crying, well more like sobbing. He was alone, scared, depressed, and hurt. He sat in the very center of his lake, not even realizing the storm surrounding him. He could hear someone yelling.

      "Just wait till ah get mah hands on the arse who's doin' this shite! Teach i'm tah ruin mah holiday! Ah'm gonna..." The voice had gotten close, Jack closed in on himself, preparing for the worst, and then the voice choked on itself. Jack sobbed, shaking violently, when the large, furry hand of the voice gently placed itself on the teens shoulder. "Hey mate, you alright?" The voice asked, much gentler now. Jack looked up quickly, fear clouding his eyes. His face was stained with dried tears, dirt, and blood. New tears were still making their way down his cheeks. Jack tried to push away, but his shoulders were suddenly put in a very firm grasp. "Hey, hey, it's alright, she's all apples!" The odd rabbit tried desperately to calm him down.

      "No! I heard you! You said you were going to hurt me!" Jack cried desperately, the storm moving just a bit faster. Jack could practically hear the gears in the rabbit's brain turning as his grip loosed, than tightened once more.

      "You're not just in th' eye of this thing, ya are the eye. Ya can't control it can ya?" Suddenly, he was pulled into a warm hug. "s'alright Snowflake, ah'm not gonna hurt ya, but how's bout we get ya somewhere that ya can't cause a storm with ya cryin' yeah?" Jack nodded numbly in the rabbit's arms. This was so different from how those other spirits had treated him, it was comforting. He barely noticed the fact that they were practically flying through odd tunnels. The next thing he knew, Jack was being deposited on a pile of soft blankets and pillows in a dimly lighted room. the walls were lined with the only light source, dimly glowing blue flowers. "Now, ah gotta go finnish up mah holiday, so you jus snuggle up hea' an' when ah'm done we'll talk." The rabbit said gently, and then he was gone. Jack barely noticed the hours that passed as he snuggled into the nest like structure. He had finally stopped crying by the time the rabbit returned. The large lagomorph slowly walked over and sat on his haunches just outside of the nest.

      "So, ah'm guessin' yer that Jack Frost character yea'?" The rabbit asked. Jack nodded, still snuggling with a soft, fuzzy pillow. "Well then Frost, Mah name's E. Aster Bunnymund, The Easter Bunny." The Rabbit smiled brightly as he introduced himself. "So, ya wanna tell me what got ya all hot ,n bothahed?" Aster asked, placing his gentle hand back on Jack's shoulder.

      "I-I  just, I've been alone for so long. then those others, they tried to, tried to..."

      "Hey, hey, hey, don' worry, ya don' have tah say it. Ah think ah got th' picture. Did'ja catch any o' their names?" Jack nodded.

      "Puck, Pan, and some weird fox thing. The fox's name was Toru." Jack said quietly. Aster nodded as he mentally planned how to make the three spirits pay.

      "Now, ya said ya'd been alone, how long?" Aster pressed. Jack shrunk in on himself, but answered anyway.

      "A little over two hundred and fifty years. I-I woke up at my lake and no one could see me. The ones who could ignored my, until those three." Jack gave a haggard breath. Aster decided that that was enough. He pulled the lonely spirit into a warm hug, shushing him quietly as Jack began to cry into his fur. After Jack had cried himself to sleep, Aster gently tucked him into the warm blankets of the nest. Aster then trudged out of the nest room and settled into one of the many guest rooms. Thoughts of how he would teach those three a lesson flitted through his mind.

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      "Wow, that's so sweet, but why did you two have a fight?" Tooth asked curiously.

      "Remember everything he said about me, those were trying to make it seem to you guys like I wasn't qualified, while also trying to discourage me. he kept saying that he was trying to protect me, but then why didn't he just tell you guys about us, and tell me that he didn't want me fighting. Then he said that, after Easter." Jack hugged his knees close to him. "He said 'we should never have trusted you.' what he meant was, 'I should never have trusted you.'  He almost hit me too. He didn't even let me explain, he just hated me. It was like we hadn't been together at all. Like he didn't even know me." Jack said weakly, clearly losing hope. Tooth knew she had to fix this. the only question was, how?

      "Jack, i'm going to send you to North's, just tell him that I told you to wait for me there. I'm going to have a chat with a certain pooka." Before Jack could respond, he was tossed into a portal, that had definitely not been there a moment ago, and tumbling into North's office. North was surprised to see him, but when he saw Jack's face, and heard Tooth's message, he quickly herded the young spirit into a guest room, dousing the fire and opening the windows to the cold of the tundra. North settled jack into the bed before storming back to his office. He wanted to know what had happened, but knew he would have to wait for Tooth to arrive.

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      Tooth had been fully prepared to scream bunny's head off, but when she was him curled miserably in the nest. Tooth fluttered next to him, looking worriedly down at her very stupid friend. His eye cracked open to peer at her, and he gave a heavy sigh before sitting up. Jack's pillow was still clutched to his chest.

      "Ah could feel his hope dyin', if ya came tah yell, ah disserve it." Aster mumbled sadly. He looked more broken than on Easter. Tooth laid a kind hand on his shoulder.

      "You should have told us, it's not like we wouldn't have understood, and not telling him? Bunny that was the dumbest move you have ever made, besides jumping to the conclusion that he betrayed us, when you had been dating him! But, we've all made mistakes, and currently there is a very sad, very alone, and very scared spirit waiting for you to make it up to him. What are you going to do?" Tooth asked.

      "For stahtahs, ah'm never gonna call 'im Frostbite again. Second, ah'm gonna bring 'im his favorite meal, try tah show him that ah was wrong. If that don't work, ah dunno what ah'll do." Aster replied hastily. Tooth smiled gently.

      "It will." She said, and that was all it. took. Aster was off like a shot, quickly preparing peppermint coco, warm spaghetti squash, and a large peach muffin. Then, he grabbed Jack's fuzzy pillow and the blanket they always shared. With Tooth's help, they hastily got everything pack, and raced through the tunnels to the pole. Once there, Aster made a b-line towards Jack's scent, weighed down with tears and the smell of failing hope. At the same time, Tooth rushed to North's office. She burst in, and gave him a quick summery of what was going on. North began laughing at how he put it, how stupid one bunny could be.

     Meanwhile, Aster was inching the door to where was currently crying open. "Jack?" He said nervously. "Snowflake." The crying became softer, as if he were trying to hide it. Aster pushed into the room and flicked on the bedside lamp. He quietly sat the bag next to the bed, and took a seat on the edge of it. "Snowflake, ah fucked up, big time. Ah don' think ah can evah make it up to ya for th' things ah said an' did. I should've told em an' you right off that ah was scared for ya. The only reason ah didn't was 'cause ah was scared, 'an not cause I was embaresed by ya, cause that could nevah happen, but ah was scared for you mate. Ah didn' want ya gettin' hurt, but ya did anyways." Aster shifted closer and lifted his Snowflake into his arms. Jack snuggled into his fur, tears still streamed down his cheeks. "Yer th' most precious thing ah've got, and probly evah will have, but ah still messed up. Ah can't forgive mahself, but ah'll sure as hell spend every moment from now on tryin' tah make up for it. Snowflake, can ya evah forgive me." Aster finished. A few minutes passed before Jack snuggled closer, wrapping his thin arms around Aster's muscular waist, and giving a small nod. Aster gave a broken laugh before holding Jack close. After a moment, they broke apart and Aster began fiddling with the bag. He pulled out the containers of food, and the pillow and blanket. They quickly ate, Jack halving the muffin between them, but still not speaking. After they finished, Aster pulled jack down to the bed, landing on his fuzzy pillow, and wrapped them both up in the pale green blanket he brought from the nest.

      "Thank you." Jack finally said as he buried his face into Aster's chest fur.

      "Naw mate, thank you for the second chance." Aster replied, pressing a quick kiss to the crown of Jack's head before placing it under his chin. He made sure to leaved a very noticeable scent mark before they both drifted off to sleep.

     


End file.
